Did you know that 84% of all working professionals end up skipping lunch? Ok, that’s a made-up fact, but we’re pretty sure it’s close to that. Especially since most people have turned to remote working, the burden of keeping ourselves well fed throughout the day can seem like an insurmountable challenge. Imagine you finally pause long enough to realise you’re hungry, get up and go to the kitchen, and then you hear your email tone from the next room, and every day it’s the same old story: Bye bye workday meal.
But if you suffer from the dreaded afternoon slump that comes from a lack of protein, then a quick break to refuel needs to be worked into your schedule. And no, reaching for a bag of chips doesn’t count as sustenance, but taking ten minutes out to make a healthy, nutritious lunch does. With a little bit of planning, some smart weekend shopping and some motivation, it’s definitely possible to have everything you need for a super speedy but delicious midday meal.
Here are a few simple meal ideas to get you started on your journey.
Vegetable and Hummus Sandwich
Ingredients:
- 2 slices of whole-grain bread
- 3 tablespoons hummus
- ¼ avocado, mashed
- ½ cup mixed salad greens
- ¼ medium red bell pepper, sliced
- ¼ cup sliced cucumber
- ¼ cup shredded carrot
Method:
- Spread one slice of bread with hummus and the other with avocado. Fill the sandwich with greens, bell pepper, cucumber and carrot. Slice in half and serve.
Buffalo Chicken Grain Bowl
Ingredients:
- ⅔ cup cooked whole-wheat couscous
- 2 tablespoons honey-mustard vinaigrette, divided
- 1 roasted chicken thigh, sliced
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
- 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
- Hot sauce to taste
Method:
- Combine couscous and 1 tablespoon dressing. Top with chicken, celery, carrot ribbons and blue cheese. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of dressing. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Top with the hot sauce just before serving.
Chickpea "Chicken" Salad
Ingredients:
- ½ cup canola mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 ½ teaspoons country-style Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher sal
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- ½ cup chopped celery (from 2 stalks)
- ¼ cup finely chopped shallot (from 1 large shallot)
Method:
- Stir together mayonnaise, parsley, dill, mustard, salt, paprika and pepper in a bowl until combined. Stir in chickpeas, celery and shallot until the mixture is well coated. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.